Memoirs of the Heart
by Pastel Price
Summary: Orihime is looking for a kimono for the celebration of Tanabata Day. Two months after the war in Hueco Mundo, she thought every Espada were dead only to find out that they're already living fairly odd human lives.
1. Memory Syndrome

**Hello there! This is the 2nd installment of my UlquiHime fictions. Compared to my first UlquiHime installment, this fiction is more light-hearted yet very enjoyable to read. Enjoy reading and please do leave a comment or a review. That would be greatly appreciated.**

**Note: Italicized Texts are Flashbacks**

* * *

**Chapter 1 - Memory Syndrome**

_The fields crumbled into sands and walls have already collapsed. How could one determine how preserved this dome was before? Alas, two warriors took battle and blood had shed on that floor. It was utterly silent after the last blow was struck, ending that brutal slaughter of someone who seemed insignificant to the heroes yet noteworthy to one woman who tries her best to reach a fading hand. _

_"Are you afraid of me, woman?" _

_It was all too sudden now. Every seemed to end in a flash of second. _

_"No. I am not afraid of you Ulquiorra." _

_Indeed she wasn't afraid but she trembled upon the sight of her fading warden as he slowly closed his eyes, ready to ride with the wind. _

_"I see." _

_His last words echoed in her mind, creating something like a 'last song syndrome'. His fingers reached up in the air as the tips were blown away._

_"Wait. Don't go!" she was frantic about getting the dust of his body back together. _

_He was fading away too fast for her to create a shield to keep his ashes._

_"Wait! Wait! Don't go Ulquiorra!" it was like something being ripped away from her grasped for the air where his ashes were being blown, taking a handful of him and then another with her other hand. The rest of him became history. _

_"Santen Kisshun! I reject! Santen Kisshun! I reject!" her wails echoed in that dome. She continued to use all of her remaining energy just to revive him. Her quincy friend held her shoulder, looking down at her as her eyes looked at his, full of determination to bring that Espada back. _

_The quincy shook his head and softly uttered; "He's gone. We can't bring him back, Orihime." He was right, it was a hopeless try to get him back alive.  
"I- I wasn't able to save him, Uryu-kun. I-I can't…" she did not finish her sentence for tears were already fighting their way to create that river of tears. She grabbed her friend's cloak as she sobbed for that great loss._

_"Ulquiorra…" she whispered._

* * *

"Orihime! Orihime! Argh… how long will it take to wake you, girl!" Rangiku scratched the back of her head and grabbed an old newspaper from the little drawer beside Orihime's bed.

'SMACK!'

A loud crunchy hit on her head woke the orange-haired teen as she looked at Rangiku with complete puzzlement. "Ne, Rangiku-san! Was that even necessary? Besides… it's summer vacation, why wake me up so early?" Orihime consciously rubbing the back of her head where Rangiku hit her.

The older woman sighed heavily and poked the forehead of Orihime. "Have you forgotten? Tanabata day's tomorrow and we have to look for a nice small feast ingredients early today so we won't have to budge ourselves in that freakin' crowd." Orihime let out a yawn and decided to lie down again.  
"Hey Orihime! Aren't you excited that it's Tanabata tomorrow? You always looked forward to this event."

Orihime covered herself in the large comforter. "Yes, I always get excited about Tanabata Day… but not this time Rangiku-san." she stated in a very low voice.

"It's still about him, isn't it Orihime?" Rangiku's voice was firm but Orihime did not answer. "There's no use lying to me. I can read what's on your mind. Now get up, Rukia wanted to give you this." Rangiku placed something beside Orihime and headed straight to the door. "I'll go to the market with Toshirou, if you happen to think twice about that Tanabata-rejection syndrome of yours, give me a call. Take care then." She gently closed the door.

After hearing the couple leave the apartment, Orihime peeked under the sheets what Rangiku handed over. It was a hairclip adorned with two huge yellow-green leaves with a pretty pink lily in the middle.

"I hope to see you tomorrow, Orihime-chan!" A letter was attached to that hair clip and it was signed by no one else but Rukia. Orihime sighed as she ran her fingers through the adornment on that clip. "I know you're excited Rukia-san, you got Kurosaki-kun as a date after all… _*sighs*_ well, Tanabata Day, Inoue Orihime is attending your festival!" Orihime stood up and took a quick shower before putting on a white sun dress that would keep her well ventilated under the heat of the scorching summer sun. Taking a deep breath to inhale some summer aroma, she looked around before pacing her way to the nearest dress store.

* * *

"Closed?" Orihime sighed as she looked at the huge sign infront of the store. "Now how can I get a kimono if this store is closed?" She decided to leave with a discontent before someone tugged her arm.

"Young lady." an elderly man smiled at her. "You seemed to be distressed about having a kimono. There's a store not too far away from here. Take a shortcut throught the west coast, look for Kaede shrine and you'll see a small shop below the temple hill. Believe me, they got the best ones." the old man winked at her followed by a polite smile. Orihime felt enlightened to know that there was still a shop who still had kimonos for rent. Most shops were sold out already.

"Thank you sir!" Orihime bowed down before she left the old man who was going to the other direction. Wait, did that old man just look like Baraggan? Orihime looked back at the old man then he was gone. Weird. But that might just be her feeble imagination playing tricks on her. She grimaced to the direction where should've been pacing and smiled. "I'm going to get a kimono, even if it's the last thing I'd do today!" she marched towards the location of the Kaede shrine, smiling to herself.


	2. Shop of the Past

**Note: Italicized Texts are Flashbacks**

* * *

**Chapter 2 - Shop of the Past**

"Ne- I think I'm lost." Orihime scratched her head as she looked at her surroundings. Sure, she lived in Karakura town for a long time but she never had a thought of venturing beyond the cemented pavements of that town. Orihime sighed as she tried to look for the shrine the old man told her.

She was totally surrounded by lushous green bamboos. She was really fighting her way to that shrine. Then a relief came dancing on her face as she saw someone asleep on a straw mat between the bamboos with his face covered in a huge hat.  
"Excuse me, onii-san…" she chose to address the stranger in a sibling way so he'd trust her with directions easily. The man peeked from his hat but did not stand up.  
"What is it my dear?" Orihime looked down on him. 'Man! This guy is so lazy to even stand up or sit!' she thought. "I'm looking for Kaede shrine, I seem to be lost." Orihime laughed, hiding her embarrassment.  
"Well, you're quite lucky today little lady, your ol' Stark is charged up to bring you there." the brown-haired man stood up.  
"Stark?" Orihime protested in her mind. Couldnt this day get anymore weirder? First, it was Baraggan, now Stark? She shivered in the thought that she might eventually encounter Grimmjow or Nnoitora but what dominated her mind was the fact that she could also see someone she longed to see.

Stark gently tugged her arm as they walked around that bamboo-filled plains heading to the so-called Kaede shrine.

* * *

_A huge garganta opened before her eyes.  
"Woman, follow me." Ulquiorra commanded as he placed both of his hands in the pockets of his hakama.  
"To where?" Orihime blinked.  
"It will be better to stop asking questions, woman. Come with me." he pulled his hand from his pocket and extended it to Orihime. _

_Hesitantly, she took a hold on his pale hands. She felt a small spark when they touched. She thought his hands would be extremely icy cold, but she was wrong. They were warm, soft and seemed so delicate for an Espada. It was like he was taking a good care not to callous his hands or even wound them. 'Maybe that's why he always keep them in his pockets.' she thought. _

_Her daze was ended when she heard him; "You can let go now, woman." They were already outside Las Noches where the fake moon was at a better view. She blushed as she let go of his hand and apologized.  
"W-Why are we here, Ulquiorra?" she was shivering from the weird atmosphere of Hueco Mundo.  
"I need to undertake my trainings for today woman, yet I cannot leave you alone in your cell, after what Nnoitora did last night. _

_Orihime remembered how she struggled from Nnoitora's painful grasps. It was a good thing Ulquiorra got in her room as soon as he felt distress in her spiritual energy. _

_"Then why not sonido back to my room if you feel I'm in danger?" she asked teasingly.  
"Then do you wish to be walking back to Las Noches all by yourself, woman?" Ulquiorra raised a brow. _

_Orihime pouted at him and stuck a tongue out; "I was just joking, Ulquiorra." he looked at her for a moment before shooting a cero to the hollow who was a feet away behind the auburn-haired girl._

* * *

"Ne- are we still far from the shrine, Stark-sama?" Orihime already felt exhaustion in her body and her legs were already like lead.  
"Don't worry Hime-chan, we're here!" Stark smiled at her through his seemingly oversized hat. Seeing the shrine, Orihime bowed her head to this odd fellow.  
"Thank you, onii-san." she smiled. Stark smiled back before yawning.

"Oy, Stark-sama!" a female voice made Orihime and Stark turn their heads around. "You still have to clean the shrine, remember?" she noted.  
"Ah! Forgive me Hali. I got too relaxed with the summer heat. I'll swipe the shrine clean after another peaceful nap." he stated.

The blonde woman looked furiously at Stark whose eyes were really drowsy then looked at Orihime.  
"Oh, I see you have a guest with you. Hi, I'm Hallibel. Tia Halibel." Orihime nodded and smiled weirdly at Hallibel.  
'What on earth is happening?' Orihime wondered to herself as the Espadas began to reappear in her life. "Uhm… I was wondering if you know any dress shop nearby. An old man told me-" before she could finish her sentence, Hallibel cut her off.  
"Oh. You just made it in time. We were almost running out of available kimonos to suit your body frame!"

The teenage girl was filled with bliss. At last, she was going to get a kimono. She followed Hallibel as the older woman led her to the small shop. She giggled upon thinking she could still see more espadas appear today.  
"Why are you giggling, Orihime?" Hallibel turned to Orihime as her face reddened.  
"Uhm… well, I just came to stumble upon someone in my mind." Hallibel curved a small smile at her.  
"Is that so, Orihime?" Hallibel flung the shop door open. A bell ontop rang, signalling the people inside that a costumer or someone collecting a debt came in.

"I'm back!" she greeted as everyone was still busy in what they were doing. At that moment, Orihime froze in her place. A salmon-haired man looked at the redhead and smiled.  
"Welcome, welcome!" he greeted as he stood up from a low table where he was busy designing some clothes. He took Orihime's hand and placed a gentle kiss on it.  
"Have we met before, beautiful one?" the man complimented.  
"Ah… maybe." Orihime replied.  
"Orihime, this is Szayel, the head of the designs." Orihime looked at the man and then her surroundings. The shop was very neat and was given a touch of a luxury motif, yet it was the kimonos and the yukatas who took her utmost attention.  
"You really have done exceptional work!" Orihime told Szayel.  
"Thank you my dear. We hardly get any customers during this time of the day, so please, feel free to look at the clothes."

Orihime scanned through the fabrics that hung in the mannequins. The fabric was so soft and silky but it was tough, she'd be getting a hard time ripping those. These clothes must be pretty expensive, she thought.

"Tea's ready." Orihime turned to another familiar voice.

"Yammy?" There was a huge man with a tray of tea in the room. Orihime giggled a bit seeing a feirce huge espada holding some porcelains and tea.

"A visitor?" Yammy exclaimed as he gently placed the tray on the table. The sound of the tray knocking on the wooden table made a nostalgic moment reappear.

* * *

_"I will not repeat myself, woman. Eat or I'll have myself shove it down your throat." the emerald-eyed Espada tauntingly eyed her. His gaze was peircing her skin, as if wanting to tie her insides into chains of internal organs since Orihime refused to eat again. _

_"I don't want to, even if you scare me with those harsh words of yours, I won't eat!" she retorted back. _

_"Then it leaves me no choice." he coldly stated as he sonido-ed himself at her back. He pulled her towards the couch as he pressed some weight of his legs at hers. His hand was strangling both her hands as his other hand was ready to shove that stale meat down her throat. Swiftly but gently, he began placing the meat inside her mouth, one after another but still giving her a small interval of time to swallow them, preventing her from gagging. Tears were making their roll on her bright grey eyes as she was force fed by this emotionless pale man. _

_Seeing her learning her lesson, Ulquiorra removed the weight of his body from hers and handed her a glass of water. "I do not wish to see you defy me again after this meeting, woman." _

_Orihime nodded as streams of tears were playing on her face. She wiped them, not wanting to show too much weakness to the Espada who was tasked to be her guard. _

_"Finish the rest of your meal, woman. When I come back, I expect them to be all gone. I do not wish to exert another waste of time just to feed you." Ulquiorra really had a choice of words to peirce her heart. He left her room as the coattails of his robes playfully ran behind him._

* * *

Orihime snapped out of the daze when Szayel pulled her to sit with them.  
"Yammy makes great noon teas. You should try them." Szayel took a sip and the aroma of the tea leaves sipped into Orihime's senses. She took a sip and gladly smiled at the people infront of her."It's wonderful!" she exclaimed.

Tia Hallibel stood up. "I'll be going now. I have to finish the arrangements and cleaning of the shrine for tomorrow's festival. Stark must've recharged already. Thank you for the tea." She bowed her head before sweeping herself up to leave.

"So, Orihime, where would you celebrate Tanabata?" Szayel asked.  
"Honestly, I dont really plan on celebrating the event." Szayel raised an eyebrow.  
"Why so?"  
"It's because, I lost the person I want to celebrate it with." If her friends were the ones listening to her, they'd think of Ichigo Kurosaki, but it was another guy she was talking about.  
"Will it be fine if I ask you anything about this man you lost?" Orihime brushed strands of hair from her face before looking back at Szayel and Yammy.  
"Well, to put it in a… better manner, he's someone not from here, he kidnapped me for some weird purposes and when I started realizing he's changed in some way, one of my friends… killed him." she looked low an her feet.

Yammy shrugged a bit. "Ah… I-I think, something's burning in the kitchen." then the huge guy ran off.

Szayel sighed, "I'm sorry to hear that… tell you what, why don't you join us for dinner tomorrow then?" Orihime stared at the salmon-haired guy and nodded cheerfully.

"I will then!" she replied.

Szayel smiled and turned around. "What color of kimono are you looking for in particular?" Orihime smiled and gladly replied.

"Something green, Szayel-sama!"


	3. Dumbfounded

**Note: Italicized Texts are Flashbacks**

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Dumbfounded**

_"Ulquiorra-sama, is it always this cold here?" Orihime sat on the couch playing with her long hair. Ulquiorra was leaning on the wall with his eyes closed, never responding to Orihime's endless stream of questions. _

_"Ne- Ulquiorra, are you asleep already?" Orihime asked as she stood up and brought herself to the man on the wall. "You're asleep…" Orihime grinned as if something evil was playing in her thoughts. "Since you're asleep…" Orihime raised her hand to his face and traced the green tearmarks on his cheeks. She was astounded by his smooth and warm skin. She was captivated, then suddenly a hand encicled her wrist. _

_"What are you doing, woman?" Orihime pulled her hand back and looked at his face. Green eyes were wide open locking with her grey eyes. She can never measure how deep those eyes of him could see, but it was perfect. Green eyes were the color of his soul, it was the only nice shade of color on that white wall where a pale man stood. Indeed those green eyes would leave her a mark, always._

* * *

After scanning through a couple of kimonos, Orihime stumbled upon another room while Szayel was busy drawing some beautiful kimonos on the small working table. It was indeed a dark room, with a bed, a desk and an elegant black and green kimono that hung on a frame-like cabinet. The auburn-haired girl walked towards the dress and looked at the kimono closely. The fabric was emerald-tinted and the edges were black. Black and gold flowers were embroidered across the dress.  
"Szayel-sama!" she called out.  
"What is it my dear?" Szayel did not stand up from his work but eyed on the room where Orihime was.  
"Well, I found something that I wanted… is it for sale?" Finally urging himself to stand up and gave a cunning smile, Szayel fixed the glasses on the bridge of his nose and approached Orihime.  
"I did not design that so I see it better if you'd wait for the designer of that kimono. Is it okay, Orihime?" Szayel smiled. Orihime gave a nod before following Szayel to the shop's lobby.

It was already 2:00 in the afternoon and the atmosphere was becoming to be lazy. Yammy slept on the hammock outside, Hallibel and Stark was clearly arguing outside, Szayel was busy designing clothes and Orihime sat patiently beside the fiber-glass window, looking at the shrine outside. She was almost going to drift into a nap when the door flung wide open.

"Yo! I'm back!" a blue-haired man woke her senses. It was no other than Grimmjow Jaggerjacques. He was wearing a black top with floral designs and a printed word "Mexico". He was also carrying a few baggages so it was clear that he was from a vacation.

Their eyes met and unlike the other espadas, he was filled with shock.  
"Orihime? What the hell are you doing here?" Grimmjow pointed. Szayel slapped his forehead in disappointment as Stark and Hallibel froze in their position.  
"Y-You know me?" Orihime answered back in complete astonishment.  
"Hell yeah! Yo, Szayel, didnt you remember pet-sama?" Grimmjow was really shocked as the others didnt know what to reply.  
"Fine, you got us." Hallibel tapped Orihime on the shoulder. "We knew all along." Orihime's eyes widened.  
"What? You knew me all along?" Everyone gave a sigh except for Grimmjow who was scratching the back of his head.

* * *

"What the heck is going on?" Everyone sat around a huge table as Grimmjow kept ranting Orihime kept silent, still confused about the situation until Hallibel decided to silence the blue-haired man.

"Well, you'd find out sooner or later. We decided everything from the start. Orihime, we are all alive after that Winter war. Do you remember calling out Santen Kisshun? You managed to reject Ulquiorra's death. But he chose to reappear in Kisuke's shop instead back in Hueco Mundo, then he seeked help in returning the other Espadas back through the sceptic experiments of Kisuke." Orihime shook her head.  
"Ne- why didnt I feel your reiatsu then?"

Baraggan smiled at Orihime, "We are incapable of throwing lances or ceros anymore, my child. We are mere humans now… except we can still use sonido and regenerations."

"Correction, my ol' man. Except for Ulquiorra, that is." Grimmjow coughed. Orihime looked at the Espadas infront of her, Yammy, Stark, Baraggan, Hallibel, Grimmjow and Szayel were there.  
"Where are the others then?" she asked out of curiousity.  
Szayel took a sip from Yammy's wonderful and tasty tea before answering; "Since we have to live normally, we sent Aaroniero to college, he's taking up medicine. Unfortunately for Zommari and Nnoitora, no traces of their reiatsu were taken so it was impossible reviving then. Ulquiorra, on the other hand…" before Szayel could finish his sentence, the door was firmly opened by the pale man whose face was numb to emotions.

"Oh look who came back early." Grimmjow pointed out. Orihime had her sight on him for a while. He was still the same, except for the over-the-edge paleness, arrancar helmet and tearmarks were long gone. He stood by the doorway quite a while before heading to a certain room. He never looked back at Orihime nor greeted his fellow Espadas.

"Same as always." Grimmjow scoffed.

Szayel took Orihime's hand and followed Ulquiorra to the room he went into. "Now, we can get permission from the designer." Szayel whispered to Orihime.


	4. Confrontations of the Heart

**Note: Italicized Texts are Flashbacks**

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Confrontations of the Heart**

Szayel left Orihime alone to knock in Ulquiorra's room. Everyone agreed they have to settle something so the others went to the shrine to decorate and help some townspeople set up their small trinket shops and fair booths. The house was quiet, Orihime could even hear her heart beat. Gathering all her courage to knock on the mapple door of the man she longed to see, with an intake of air before sighing out loud, she dropped a knock on his door.

"U-Ulquiorra, it's me… Orihime." she whispered as her head rested on the door. She heard footsteps on the wooden yet polished floor then it stopped as she felt his prescence on the other side. He was just a door away from her, a block of wood was the only thing that seperates them.

"Ulquiorra, if you dont want to see me, please, just let me talk to you. I know you're there." Orihime shivered slightly as a chilly seven o'clock evening breeze blew inside the shop. The atmosphere was cold, cold as the locked doorknob she clutched. "To start, I wanted to say sorry for everything I did back in Hueco Mundo… when I gave you a hard time making me eat the food…"

_"Woman, why is it that you defy me so much? Is this 'heart' of yours the one who tells you defy me? I'll be back in thirty minutes, if I see this food uneaten, I shall have myself shove these in your throat. Keep that in mind."_

"…sorry for not paying attention when you talked to me…"

_"You are Aizen-sama's property from now on. You belong not only belong to him, but also to me, woman. When I talk to you, I expect you to face me… or would you want me to do it by force then?"_

"…sorry for being such a burden…"

_"You and your friends are all trash. You exist for nothing in this world but to carry each other's burdens. How pathetic. I, myself dont even see why I have to keep you alive. This is all a waste of time."_

"…and sorry for the fact that I always troubled you with my own problems."

_"Woman, I see to it that you are kept alive. I am not here to comfort you and pampher your stay here in Las Noches. You are a prisoner, no more, no less."_

"You always kept me company, Ulquiorra-sama and it is you I relied the most to keep me alive back then. Thank you Ulquiorra-sama, for everything. If you don't want to see me, I'll go. Goodbye." she slowly released her clutch on that brass doorknob as tears trailed her cheeks. How ironic, isnt it? She knew the man she wanted to see for a long time was just some distance away yet the fact that she never saw his captivating eyes were just something to deeply curse about.

Her footsteps were too heavy, she didn't want to leave and she didn't want to stay either. Before she reached the main door to exit the Espadas' shop, she felt two arms wrap around her waist. It certainly wasn't normal since the arms that encircled her waist were furry yet elegant. She heard the wind howl as his wings powerfully flapped about his back and his tail trailed on her right foot.

"Stay, Inoue Orihime."

For the first time in four months, she heard his voice. Monotonous yet meaningful. And for the first time in seven months they met, she heard him say her name.

* * *

_"Ne, Ulquiorra-sama, I have a name! It's Orihime. O-ri-hi-me! Please dont call me woman anymore, I'm not that old you know." Orihime stuck her tongue at the espada before her. "I do not see any difference if I call you woman or by the name you refer yourself too." Ulquiorra never failed to react to her complains. "Using Orihime instead of woman makes it less formal Ulquiorra-sama." the Espada looked at the girl and raised a brow. "I do not wish to go low beyond my point of formality and superiority woman. I shall never call you informally." Ulquiorra turned his heel and began to exit Orihime's room but she caught his wrist before he could leave. "I call you Ulquiorra-sama so I can feel that you are a friend, if everything is formal, I shall call you captor-kun instead." she retorded. "Call me whatever you like woman. My decision is final." And with that, he left._

* * *

"How come you never showed yourself, Ulquiorra? Why did you hide from me?" she said, still facing at the door with her back on Ulquiorra's chest.  
"I was not hiding, Orihime. I needed to make sure Aizen is dead before I reveal myself so he wont be after the espadas again." Orihime turned around to meet his golden eyes. They contained a bit of emotions unlike before. "And I have waited for this day to come, Orihime. I waited for the day you told me. Tanabata Day."

* * *

_"Every 7th of July, Ulquiorra-sama, we celebrate this Tanabata Day back in the human world." she blushed when she told Ulquiorra about this romantic festival. Ulquiorra simply gazed at Orihime, a bit interested about the festival she was talking about. _

_"It's when Vega and Orihime gets a chance to see each other." Orihime continued and Ulquiorra raised a brow and left his wall-leaned position to approach the blushing girl. _

_"The character in your Tanabata legend, you both share the same name." Ulquiorra was just a feet from Orihime who was slightly uncomfortable with the distance they shared and she was showing how uncomfortable it was by fidgeting her dress. "Does this come in true life, woman? Do you still wait for your 'Vega'?" Orihime was surprised with Ulquiorra's question. It was delivered in a sarcastic way and the only thing missing was a smirk on his face. _

_"Uh… maybe." she answered, very nervously.  
"Why is it that I seemed to be dissatisfied with your answer, woman?" he replied as he took his hand out of his pockets. _

_Cupping Orihime's face by her chin, he made her eyes meet his emerald orbs."Who is it you are waiting for, woman?" he asked in his ever-monotone voice. Orihime's face flushed in total red as he gently let go of her chin. Giving a soft exhale that still cannot be considered as a sigh, Ulquiorra turned around and took her plate from the table. _

_"I will see you in thirty minutes for your bath, woman."_

* * *

"You remembered Tanabata Day, Ulquiorra-sama?" she asked with tears in her eyes.  
"Yes, I did, Orihime. And there is no one else I would rather spend it with." he said, giving a soft kiss on her forehead.  
"Still," Ulquiorra continued, "I am still confused how the other espadas managed to lure you to go here in Kaede Shrine." Orihime ran a smile on her face.  
"I was looking for a kimono actually, when Baraggan-sama gave this address…" Orihime told Ulquiorra the story on how she got there as both of them settled to sit by the front porch, looking at the stars.  
"Orihime, I assure myself that you have already seen the kimono in my room." Ulquiorra asked.  
"Uh… yes. I've seen it. It was very beautiful, Ulquiorra-sama." she complimented. Ulquiorra stood from where they were sitting and folded his black wings gracefully before tugging Orihime's arm gently,  
"It's for you, Orihime. I wanted to see you in it a very long time ago." he led her back into his room and made Orihime fit the kimono.

After almost twenty minutes, Orihime came out of the dressing room wearing the green kimono.  
"You are beautiful, Orihime." Ulquiorra stated and this made Orihime blush. Brushing strands of hair away from her face, she thanked Ulquiorra before looking at the mirror.  
"You made this, Ulquiorra-sama?" she asked, seeing herself before the mirror with Ulquiorra behind her.  
"Yes." he replied with a smooth voice before fixing her obi. When he was done with her obi, she turned around to look at the cloth. "It's a bat, Orihime." he pointed out.

Orihime was astounded by Ulquiorra's numerous talents and right now, she was surprised the he could create obi formations as well. "I want you to wear this tomorrow, Orihime." Orihime nodded in reply before gently untying the obi for her to change back into her casual clothes. Orihime let out as a small gasp when she felt Ulquiorra's hands were helping her get out of the kimono and his hands pushed the kimono down, revealing her very slender body.

"U-Ulquiorra-sama…" she tried to hide as much as she can with her arms covering her chest. Before she could say his name again, she got pushed to the wall and Ulquiorra's body pinned his weight to prevent her from squirming about. His mouth ran to hers as they both closed their eyes to indulge in the warmth of the moment. When she gave a cue for his tongue to enter, their kiss deepened as Orihime had her arms on Ulquiorra's chest. She was surprised that he already reverted back from his released form and the black fur were all gone. When they broke apart for air, he rested his head on her bare shoulder.

"Stay with me, Inoue Orihime." Orihime was cold, really cold. She had no clothes on except for her undergarments and the night air was chilly, but Ulquiorra's heat was enough to prevent her from shaking. Orihime closed her eyes and answered

"I will, Ulquiorra."

When Ulquiorra removed his weight from hers, they found their way to his bed.  
"Do you want this, Orihime?" he asked.  
"Yes, I want you, Ulquiorra." and with that, Ulquiorra had his mouth locked with hers and they drifted into a lustful bliss off a lifetime.


	5. Reality

**Note: Italicized Text are flashbacks.**

* * *

**Chapter 5 - Reality**

_"If I rip open your chest, will I see it? If I crack your head, would it show itself? Then if I tear your limbs apart, this heart of yours would appear infront of me? Hn. Pathetic. You do rely on your heart so much. You speak of it like you do see it. What my eyes cannot perceive does not exist, woman, and what I cannot hold will never be real. Now tell me, where is this 'heart' you pathetically speak of?" his coldness really hit a nerve of hers that time. With a squeak brought by friction of her shoe and the floor, she ran towards him, hatred in her eyes. SLAP! The loud impact echoed throughout the room. _

_"My heart… is not pathetic!" she answered back. Her shoulders were shaking with hatred and anger and her eyes were gleaming with unshed tears. "My heart… is never pathetic and useless. It is not worthless…" she said between sobs. His eyes gazed in her figure who was staring at the floor. _

_"Whether you say it is important or not, my perspective on emotions will always be blank. However…" Ulquiorra gave a momentary pause and held Orihime's face to make her face him directly in the eye. "You have clearly made an exception, woman. Emotions, Love, Lust… you have plagued my senses with those of what poisoned yours." Ulquiorra slowly returned his hand back to his pockets as an arrancar slowly opened the door._

_"Aizen-sama would like you to destroy the enraged Vasto Lorde with Yammy, Schiffer-sama." the arrancar made a brief relay of an order and immidiately dismissed himself from the sight of the Espada. "I shall leave now, woman. An arrancar will bring you your meal if I had an overtime with this hollow." he left with his sonido as her eyes were still shocked with the words he stucked in her head._

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The auburn-haired girl felt the summer sun's rays dance on her face. Opening her eyes to greet the morning, she was surprised to see herself waking up in her room. Rubbing her eyes, she sighed. "All a dream… I guess." she told herself but before she could throw herself back to her bed, she heard the doorknob click open. Rangiku was standing there, holding a magazine.  
"Wow, you got up early! I thought I had to smack your head to get up today!" the big-breasted lady grinned at Orihime.  
"I don't want that to happen, Ran-sama, so I got up early." Orihime returned her smile.  
"Hm… you know, I am surprised that you got up early after what you two did last night." Rangiku maliciously grinned at Orihime as she pointed to the direction at Orihime's floor.

Leaning to see what she was pointing to, Orihime gasped to see Ulquiorra still asleep soundly on the floor, naked with only a white blanket that draped below his waist. "I suggest getting a bigger bed for your escapades, Orihime." Rangiku sneered before closing the door and leaving Orihime dumbfounded to see the former Espada asleep on the floor.

"So it was real then…" Orihime whispered.

Slowly, she got off her bed and tiptoed across the sleeping guy, but before she could pass him, she felt a hand snatch her wrist, making her fall on his bare chest. She lay on top of him, still trying to process everything that happened in her brain.  
"Uh, Ulquiorra…" she whispered to him. Ulquiorra encircled her petite body with his pale arms and embraced her, still with his eyes closed.  
"Let's just stay like this for a moment, Orihime. I wish I could have 5 lives so I can love you for hundreds of years." he replied and inhaled her sweet morning scent. Orihime closed her eyes and threw her arms at him to embrace Ulquiorra as well.  
When she opened her eyes again, she asked; "Anyway, how did we get here in my room?" Ulquiorra opened his jade obs to meet her grey ones.  
"I figured out that the other espadas will try their best to find out what we're doing. No one can bother us here, Orihime." he replied as he looked at the green kimono resting in her desk. "Happy Tanabata Day, Orihime."

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_"Ulquiorra-sama, have you ever loved someone?" Orihime was bored as she lay on the couch, swinging her right foot up and down, and this seemed to have amused her. The Espada seemed to be amused with her mannerism as well, but what amused him the most was the question being asked out of no where.  
"You do have an unusual mind running, woman." he answered.  
"Ne- Answer my question, Ulquiorra-sama." she smiled at him as she watched her foot that looked like a pendelum. Ulquiorra sighed and closed his eyes.  
"I did, woman." Upon hearing his answer, her foot stopped from swinging and sat straight up in the couch.  
"Really?" her eyes rolled at his direction, seemingly interested with his answer.  
"Are you not going to ask me with whom, woman?" His question also surprised him, why would he ask Orihime such weird human question?  
"Since you've mentioned it, who is the girl of your heart?" Orihime automatically covered her mouth with hands, apologizing for using the word heart. She knows that he deferred having one. "I-I'm sorry Ulquiorra-sama, I didn't mean to use that word, it's just, I-I…" _

_Ulquiorra sighed and sonido-ed infront of her, with his hands crossed in his chest. He leaned forward, his mouth near her ear.  
"Of all the people who have existed, should'nt it be you who should know the answer, my love?" Ulquiorra turned his back on her. "The shinigami and your friends are here." Ulquiorra left Orihime in the room, his coattails billowing behind him. Little did Orihime know that Ulquiorra had painted his face with a smirk. _

_And after that incident, it was when a shinigami and the 4th Espada clashed their lives to the end._

THE END.

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**Finally~ done uploading the second Ulqui-Hime fiction. Did you like it? Then please do give me a review! I know the story gives the other Espadas some out-of-character moments and dialogues, please do forgive me! **

**I really enjoyed giving Szayel-san that personality! **

**Going to work on the third Ulquihime fiction now, this time, I'm aiming for a superior drama! Stay tuned, I'll be adding a fun OC to spice things up on my 3rd installment of Ulquihime fictions.**


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